The Betty Chronicles: A Betty's Pledge Fanfic for the Fanfic
by Emily Bowden
Summary: This is a deviated timeline offered to Twilight Fandom readers who were fans of the original posted fanfic, The Betty Chronicles - now offered in a published format. This is a special offer to the fandom of the original intent for Edward & Bella's story. Rated M for mature and sexual content.
1. Dear Readers

**Hello Readers . . .**

**As promised, this the alternate timeline for The Betty Chronicles offered to my fanfic readers as a sequel to the original posted works. This story will pick up from where the timeline shifts from the published story from the world created for Twilight Fanfiction. As we love our Twilight characters, there were certain aspects of this story that I didn't feel I could take our beloved characters to in which I had no qualms about venturing with my original characters. Hence the shift. I also felt this was the most fair way to finish both worlds and keep both fan bases happy.**

**I have to say – as most of you know – that I've received hateful comments, death threats, and horrible reaction to my decision to branch off and publish the first of A Betty's Pledge. I had to really think about whether I was going to continue as originally planned and offer a "fanfic for the fanfic" as it were. I believed this concept to be a new and ingenious way for a P2P author to offer their fandom. I wanted my readership to have the ending I'd _originally intended _for Edward and Bella, and not the variation the new/original characters will take. However, the comments were so vile that I had to really pull myself out of a bad place. I don't understand why there's so much hate and cruelty – such utter _evil_ for a story that I have offered my readers freely. I just don't understand and probably never will.**

**On that note, I truly have to say that for those of you who have offered your support to me have been my savior – and the heroes of this alternate timeline. Without your championship I wouldn't have continued. Honestly, there were many fellow authors that encouraged me to abandon the fandom and just bow out. Your kind words far outweigh the bad and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. For those of you who've been my best support, I will be in contact soon to personally thank you and offer another unique opportunity that I believe most P2P authors do not give their readership. Again, thank you to all who stood up for me and this story. Your voices have silenced the hate.**

**I'm sure there will be more.**

**As for the original story, due to contract obligations I have to pull the original fanfic from the website. Yes, the story will be offered in a published format and I wish there was a way to provide it to my fandom readership, but I cannot keep it up for legal reasons. Again, I'm willing to work with those readers who've been supportive and will continue to read the fandom "fanfic for the fanfic." Please, contact me at my website and we will work something out. **

**T****o those of you who've expressed concern that it took me four years to complete the Betty Chronicles I'd like to address that. As some of you know, I'm also published under a different penname in another genre and have been working on that series which is now facing completion. That is why updates were slow to come. As of now, this project is the only one I have in works, so my attention will be more focused on the fandom story. I already have most of the fandom timeline sequel written.**

**The story will now pick up from where it deviates from the first book of A Betty's Pledge and continue down the fandom timeline with the characters we've come to love. Updates will begin tomorrow. Some of it will be a repeat, but I wanted to point out where the story deviates, as I've already posted some of these chapters. Again, this is a rare opportunity. For those still with me, enjoy.**

**Emily**


	2. The Contrite

**Hello Readers . . .**

**So, as promised, this is the fanfic of the fanfic. This picks up where A Betty's Pledge ends and begins the divergence of the two stories. Some of you didn't like that I used the word "alternate." I'm not sure what word to use to make everyone happy, but there are TWO different stories from this point on: the one I'm offering the fandom and the one I will be publishing with TWCS. **

**I'm sorry it took me forever to upload today. I slept most of the day. I think the stress and heartache of yesterday really got to me. **

**Without further ado . . .**

* * *

_"Hey, Bella. What's wrong?" Alice was standing by my path, talking to Jasper in hushed tones._

_"I need a bathroom," I told her, hurrying past without a second thought. I ignored her inquiries, set on my course. I threw the doors open to the house with a loud bang. My eyes were wide as I searched in which direction I should go. A long hallway off to the right looked like my best bet, so I rushed down it in blind haste._

_I was barely through the door before I felt the vodka-blueberry-coconut mixture make a reappearance. Luckily, it was mostly fluid, so the sink made a perfect puke bucket. I stood there for several more moments, my bottom lip trembling from adrenaline. I glanced up to the mirror, seeing how ashen and gaunt my face looked. I turned on the faucet and splashed some cool water on my cheeks, then rinsed out my mouth a couple of times._

_What the Hell am I doing...?_

_Why the hell did I react that way? I mean, I knew coming in it was most likely going to be slightly difficult. Jealousies can run wild in this kind of situation, but this was completely different. It...hurt. And I didn't understand why._

_I'd done what I was supposed to do. I shut off my emotions, I set my limits, and I cut off any expectations. I came here with the intentions of..._

_"Fuck," I muttered, hating the sting of tears forming in my eyes. How could I let him make me cry? He wasn't doing anything that he wasn't supposed to do. He was a Consort at a sex club...and I was his nameless toy to play with._

_"Fuck, fuck, fuck..."_

_"Well, if you say it nicely, I might oblige." I turned to see James leering at me from the doorway. He had his hand low on his abdomen, his bottom lip between his teeth as he stared at me like a lazy lion watching a limping gazelle. I didn't have patience for this shit._

_"Do you need the bathroom?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from shaking. James laughed, taking a step inside the small confined space. All of a sudden, I felt really uncomfortable._

_"What I need is you, apparently," he answered, his voice thick like molasses._

_"Meaning?"_

_"Meaning I saw how you flipped your shit out there. And I saw how Edward watched you run like your pussy got hurt, but he didn't care, did he?"_

_"I don't know what you're talking about," I answered, taking a hand towel from the rack to wipe my face off._

_James crossed the threshold, blocking me inside the room. I felt my defenses kick in for a moment. I didn't like feeling like I was trapped._

_"Do you know what else I saw?" he whispered, his beer laced breath fanning across my face, adding to my nausea. "I saw you sucking him off last night in that room. I watched you through the mirror, both Vicky and I. We saw your mouth on his dick, and do you know what I thought? Mine would look so much better with your lips around it."_

_I swallowed hard, trying to keep the bile at bay. "Get out of my way," I growled, trying to sound fierce and solid. I really wanted to pass out._

_"He fucked you good, I got to give him that. Probably fucked that Lauren chick just as well today without a second thought. He's always been my kinda guy. But what you need is a real experience. That's what you came here for, right? Experimentation? Trying new things?"_

_"I want to leave."_

_He put his hand on my waist, his fingers automatically curving around the low dipping fabric in the back. I felt him graze the curve of my ass, and I wanted nothing more than to punch him in the nads, but I couldn't move._

_"What you want is for me to take you now. Vicky won't care if she's not here. She's fucked a few Consorts and Betties solo in her day."_

_I placed my hands on his chest and shoved as hard as I could, but he barely moved. James was at least six foot tall, built from solid steel, and could probably bench press one of me in each arm. If he didn't want to leave, there was no way I was going to make him. Panic swelled in my chest, and I felt my fist plant itself into his jaw before I knew what I was doing._

_"Yes!" James cheered, wiping his mouth from a few drops of blood. I'd split his lip wide open. "That's what she likes. A little foreplay. Oh, baby, this is going to be so good."_

_He bent down to kiss me, crimson fluid on his lips, his breath smelling bitter and rank. I recoiled, pushing him with everything I had. His hands clamped down on my body, his chest pressed up against mine. I closed my eyes, wishing I were anywhere else._

_Suddenly, I felt him being wrenched away from me, and I fell to the ground in a trembling heap. Carlisle had James by the throat, Jasper holding the creep's arms behind his back in submission. I felt two arms pick me up off the ground and I looked up to see Jacob's warm, concerned eyes looking down on me._

_"Bella, honey, are you okay?" Rosalie asked, coming through the pool door in a hurry. Emmett was behind her, followed by Alice, Angela, and Jess._

_Jacob repositioned me, holding me in his massive grip so that my head rested on his shoulder. I felt comforted, safe, and in no way able to answer the hurried questions being thrown at me by my friends._

_"Get your shit and get out!" Carlisle growled at James, pushing him by his jugular toward the door. Jasper followed close behind him, a stern look on his face that I'd never seen. He'd always been so laid back before._

_Victoria met James at the door, beginning to question what happened in rapid succession. "These people don't know how to have a good time, darlin'," James drawled, and I pulled my body in closer to Jacob at the sound of his horrible, non-repentant reply._

_I stared blankly ahead of me as Rosalie grabbed a towel from the bathroom and told me she was going to wipe the blood from my face. I watched numbly as Jacob carried me out of the pool house, back toward the house. I kept quiet as more of the house-mates gathered outside, watching, asking questions, trying to see where the blood had come from. And I looked away as Edward met my gaze, the concern and sincerity I'd known so well last night making a reappearance._

_I felt nothing._

_I wanted to go home._

The Contrite

~ Edward Masen ~

I didn't know what I was doing. My life had seemed so simple less than a week ago. Now, I felt like everything was turned the fuck around.

Bella had screwed everything up. Her presence, her touch . . . And I'd tried so many times to extract her from my mind, but nothing was working.

Like an idiot, I tried to talk to her about the pain this program could bring. The heartache that giving yourself to a woman . . . or a man . . . could cause when that person turned around and shit on everything. She basically laughed in my face, telling me that her heart was secure and safe behind an emotionless brick wall. I knew better.

So instead of wasting time by telling her I knew about it from experience, I'd decided maybe a visual would work better. It wasn't my intention, but I capitalized on it anyway. Not to mention, her complete and utter apathy burnt me like nothing else had, and part of me wanted her to hurt the way that I did.

But not like this.

Damn it, I blamed myself. I stood outside her door, staring daggers into the wood, wishing I could be in there. I hated fucking James. I didn't know what he'd done to her but I had an idea. He could never keep his damn hands to himself, and lovely, sensual women had always been his downfall. Bella was all that and more, and he'd cornered her inside the pool house because she'd ran. Ran from me, from the scene with Lauren, and from the feelings seeing the two of us together had invoked.

And I blamed myself for whatever she'd endured.

No matter what Bella had told me, I wasn't stupid. Her adamant denial that emotion didn't come hand in hand with sex didn't make it true. I, of all people here, knew that there was something deep inside our souls that shared a connection with a sexual partner, regardless of the relationship's nature.

But I'd driven Bella to prove me wrong. I'd pushed that reality onto her without any regard to how hard she'd push me back. And now, she was hurt. I wouldn't blame her if she left all together.

"They're taking a long time." Emmett leaned against the wall, his hands dug deep into his pockets. We'd been standing out in the hallway, waiting for Bella and Rosalie to emerge from the room. So far, only Alice had come out. She wouldn't give me any news, stating that Bella would have to tell me what had happened herself. All she said was that she was fine, giving me a pointed look that both increased my guilt and made me want to vomit.

This morning had started off so much different. I'd awaken to Bella in my arms, slumbering softly. She had been laying there, her back against my chest, her body gloriously naked. I held her for several hours, wishing she'd wake up yet hoping she'd stay in that sleepy state of oblivion at the same time. The sweet smell of her hair in my face, the feel of her soft body pressed against my hard one . . . Nothing could've felt so right.

I hadn't wanted to do this bull shit again, didn't want to go through the program and put my heart on the line. I'd done it and was shit on, so much so that I'd turned around and did it to someone else. It turned me into someone I hated.

But with her in my arms, it felt right, no matter how many times I told myself not to give in.

With her words from last night echoing in my mind, I tried to remind myself that she was here for a purpose. She'd made that quite clear several times over. Being with other men was on her horizons. More than that, it was in her immediate plans, but part of me hoped she'd change her mind. Two nights in a row, spending the whole night with her in my arms, I thought she'd chose to forgo those others for me.

But when she didn't show up to our morning date, part of me hated her. Not a small part, either. I hated the seductress that she was, the innocent virigin she could portray, and the heartwrenchingly beautiful woman she would always be. More so, I hated myself. Those hours I held her, the pathetic romantic inside my shriveled heart had convienced my mind that I'd put that crippled organ out on the table once more.

When she tried to creep out of the room in the morning, I told myself it was nothing. I pretended to be sleeping and mumbled my invitation. When she accepted, it only convinced me further of the lie.

I sat in the kitchen for an hour and a half, longer than she'd been awake for. I'd heard Alice grumbling about her avoiding the planned swim party, figuring it was her attempting to distance herself.

Fine by me, I thought, taking one more sip of my lukewarm tea before heading upstairs. I passed by her room on the way to my own, not even taking a second look toward her direction. Each step I took my wall was being rebuilt, my brain and rational logic cussing out my weak heart like a well-seasoned sailor.

I got ready for the pool, slipping on my mask of indifference.

"Ed!" Seth called, clapping a large hand on my shoulder as I stepped onto the patio.

"Hey, bro! Have a nice time last night?" My brother, the constant man with nothing but pussy on his mind, called from the shallow end of the pool. I leveled him with a sly smile, as if I had a tantalizing secret I wasn't telling. Confidence and swagger – that's all I could afford to portray.

"Look at that face!" Mike crowed with a triumphant laugh. "My boy had it good last night."

"And the one before," Jacob added, taking a swig from his beer bottle.

"Come one now, gentlemen," Jasper stated, holding his hands up in a calming gesture. "Let's not be a bunch of horny frat boys. These women deserve respect."

Respect, I scoffed internally. She didn't leave me with respect that morning, trying to sneak out like some kind of prostitute. If she was in it for the experience than so was I. She wanted a ice cold exterior so that she could protect her emotions, that was my specialty. And it began with outward appearances, right?

"Yeah, we shouldn't act like frat boys," I proclaimed with mock seriousness. "They don't get laid as often as we do."

After much cajoling and an exasperated shake of the head from Jasper, we decided to set up the BBQ before the girls showed up. Knowing they'd want to make an appearance by being sociably late, we didn't rush our grilling. In fact, this was the part I used to enjoy. Still did, if I was honest, but my mind was still filled with all things Bella.

No better way to get my mind off of her by watching a parade of practically naked women strutting before me.

"Damn . . . " Mike's proclamation turned our heads, and we all removed our beers from our hanging mouths as the first chick appeared.

The mated women crossed the threshold first, giggling arm in arm while holding some kind of mixed drink in their manicured hands. Most of those women had come to be like sisters to me, but I could appreciate a delicious body when I saw one. At risk of popping an inappropriate happy stick, I turned my head while the mated men left the food table to claim their women. I didn't blame them.

As the couples disappeared to enjoy the various attractions the pool had to offer, the Consorts and I tried to adjust ourselves, incognito style. Mike flipped the burgers a little early, most likely in preparation so that they wouldn't be burned when the next wave hit – the parade of women we were actually allowed to fuck.

And here they were.

The large bay doors opened and each women stepped into our sights. The Cullens sure knew how to pick their women. Rounded curves, flat, toned stomachs, legs long and enticing . . .

Mouthwatering.

Each Betty stepped out of the mansion dressed in varying scraps of barely there bikinis. I never seen the point of wedged sandals before; they seemed pointless in my opinion – not something one could enjoy at the beach. But seeing those tight asses propped up on shapely legs made my dick stand to attention. Yeah, getting Bella out of my mind might be a little more fun than I'd anticipated.

"When can we send out invitations again?" Mike asked, lewdly licking his lips in anticipation.

"Well, if we followed Eddie's lead, we don't have to," Jacob retorted, glaring at me as he turned away from the women and chugged the last of his beer.

"Something you want to talk about, Jake?"

"Naw, man," he shrugged, twisting the top off another beer. "I just don't get how you can break the damn rules every year without so much as a swat to your wrist."

"Quit pouting," Seth scoffed. "It's not like you wouldn't break the damn rules if you had the chance."

"All I'm saying is that it's only the first week in the Mansion, and he already has his hooks in the hottest chick here."

"You want Bella?" I asked him point blank, trying my hardest to act like that question didn't hurt like hell to ask.

"Fuck, I think all of us do. That's why we're here, right?"

"Guess so . . ."

"Where is she, by the way?" Seth looked around the yard.

"Probably still a little sore from the weekend events," Mike chuckled like an idiot. "Am I right?"

"Alice said she's not coming," I answered with a shrug, hoping my voice carried nonchalance, and not the edge of hurt I felt in my heart. I pushed it down, wanting to get back that air of indifference I'd had for so long. I turned to Jake, giving him the flattest expression I could manage. "If you want Bella, go claim her."

"I might just do that," he answered, watching me closer than I would've liked. I turned away from him, sipping on my beer a little to long to pass as apathy. "Edward, don't do this." I heard his words in my ear, low so that they were only between us.

"Do what, Jake?"

"One weekend with her and you're going to turn back into the 'Asshole the Jane wrought'?"

"Don't act like you know what you're talking about, Jacob," I growled in his face, holding the warring emotions back with all my ability.

"Fine," he grit out. "Act like a royal dick-wad again. Bella doesn't deserve that shit, anyway."

"You're right. She doesn't want anything like me. She wants fifty of me, all night long, in multiple ways."

"You're a fuck head, you know that?"

"Yup, that's me. Deal with it." I walked away before I could say anything I'd really regret, finding a vacant cabana and making myself comfortable. In that moment, there was nothing I wanted to do more than get good and drunk, and the small, fully stocked mini fridge sitting right next to the lounge chair became my new best friend. And after I'd poured five long necks down my gullet, I was well on the way to my goal.

"There you are," a silky smooth voice purred, and I smiled as the side of the cabana opened to reveal a beautifully seductive Betty. Lauren, I think her name was. The fact that I barely knew her name was another reminder of how consumed I'd been by Bella.

Bella, the women who had no interest to satisfying herself with me alone. Fine by me . . .

That'd be my motto for the rest of this god forsaken program.

Fine. By. Me.

"Here I am," I smiled drunkenly. "And here you are."

"Hmmmm," she moaned. "Yes, but I'd really like to be somewhere else." She stepped closer, her itty bitty bikini riding deliciously low on her hips.

"And where's that?"

"Right about here," she replied huskily, straddling my lap with her mile high legs. She placed herself directly onto my pelvis, grinding just slightly as she adjusted her body. Her breasts were leveled in my face, bouncing a bit as she settled. My hands automatically gripped her hips, the silky smooth skin feeling like one hundred percent woman under my fingers.

I smiled, thinking this was what I needed to get over Bella. To get her out of my skin and my mind.

"I like you here," I told her, running my hands up her sides, teasing the sides of her barely covered breasts. "But there are rules, you know."

"Well, rumor has it you're a bit of a rule breaker, Edward."

"Is that so?"

"Mmmhmmm," she nodded with her plump bottom lip between her teeth, one hand reaching back toward the tie around her neck. She pulled the string slowly, loosening the top of her thin, pink bikini top. The cups spilled down her body, revealing a set of perfectly round tits.

Like I said, mouthwatering.

"I hate to disappoint you, but I'm not a rule breaker," I said, swallowing thickly. "And if they find us in here like this, we'll both be kicked out."

"Come one," she purred, leaning in to rub her nipples across my chest. "Everyone loves a rebel."

Her painted nails ran up and down my bare chest, leaving a trail of goose bumps behind. Reaching the edge of my board shorts, she pulled the tie that kept them loosely on my hips. Lauren dipped one finger inside, swiping across the head of my dick. Finding her goal hard and ready, she thrust her hips once more, giving me a fairly good idea of what she'd be like in bed.

Passionate yet demanding, and one hundred percent not Bella.

Lust turned to disgust. Wanton saliva became the sting of bile in my throat. I swallowed again, this time to keep my stomach contents down.

"Stop," I ordered, sharp and clear so there was no mistake. Lauren sat up abruptly, looking at me as if I had two heads.

"What?"

"I can't do this."

"Can't do what?"

"This," I replied, gesturing toward her half naked body. "Not here, and not right now."

"No one will know," she purred again, trying one more time to entice me into action my grinding herself onto me. It took everything inside me not to toss her ass onto the floor.

"It's not that," I told her, grasping her arms so that I could pull her away from my body.

"Well, then what is it?" she bit out, all sensuality gone from her voice.

"Our first time shouldn't be like this," I tried desperately. My words seemed to deflate the anger brewing inside of her. She grinned like that cat who ate the cream.

"Well, since you didn't send me an invite, I figured I'd come to you. I know what I want, Edward. And I've wanted you since the first time I saw you."

"Is that so?"

"I was hoping I'd get an invitation from you soon," she said in a sad little girl voice, running one nail down my abdomen. "Maybe this weekend?"

"Maybe," I supplied, the thought of it not sitting right. "But I won't be able to send you anything if we get kicked out."

"One little kiss," she asked, pinching two fingers together to measure what she considered to be little. I nodded, hating the sudden palpitations thrumming in my rib cage. She leaned forward, smashing her breasts into my chest. Her plush lips pressed against mine. Sweetly innocent at first, but then she opened her mouth, and what I deemed as a little kiss turned into a full on fornication of the oral kind.

Eventually she pulled away, retied her top, and swayed her ass as she left me sitting there with a butt load of crap floating through my mind.

I didn't understand why I responded the way I did to her touch, but I was pretty sure it had to do with Bella. Once again, I found myself loathing the day I'd met her. Today wasn't my day, and apparently I needed a huge attitude adjustment.

I stood from the cabana with plans to return to my room for some well needed R & R when I spotted Bella gaping at me like a fish. The pain in her face seeing me leaving the cabana, knowing Lauren had just been inside alone with me, tore through her features. For that one second we held eye contact, I knew she was hurt. She'd received my visual message about emotions being tied to sex loud and clear, and despite the pain she was feeling, part of me was glad. Let her know the sting of betrayal and regret.

"Edward," Rosalie's voice barked sharply, pulling me away from Bella's gaze. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her flee into the pool house, but I turned my thoughts away from her.

"What's up, Rose?"

"What the hell were you doing with that nasty bitch?" Rosalie practically growled at me, consternation deep in her vivid, blue eyes.

"I don't think it's any of your business, Rose," I scoffed, pushing past her to grab another beer from the ice chest.

"You've been screwing my Betty for the past two nights, I think it is my business."

"Your Betty has made it pretty clear she's looking forward to more invites from other Consorts," I retorted as I twisted the cap off my beer. Rosalie stared at me blankly while I chugged three quarters of its contents, the judging silence more than I could handle at the moment. Guilt swam through my mind. Guilt and anger and regret . . . again.

God, I hated this damn program.

"You're an idiot, do you know that?"

"Enlighten me, Rosalie. What did I do now?"

She took a step closer to me, lowering her voice so only I could hear her words. "I understand you've been hurt and you're afraid to keep your heart open —" I cut her off before she could say anymore on the pathetic topic.

"Look, I like Bella a lot. But I'm not going to risk anything on a woman who is clearly here for one purpose only – to get laid in every way imaginable. She's made that clear."

"And how many men has she been with since she got here, genius?"

I paused, temporarily thrown back by her words. "It's only the first week. I'm sure she'll get her feet wet."

"And yet, she turned down every invite I gave her last night for a chance to do some ridiculous – illegal, I might add – challenge with you. And in case you didn't notice, she doesn't need any help in that area."

"You would know, wouldn't you Rose. You and my brother."

"Does that bother you?" she asked, both hands going to her hips.

"What, that you were intimate with Bella? I don't know, Rosalie. Does it bother Emmett to see you give yourself to another woman?"

"Emmett knows what I like," she answered softly, a little less bite to her tone.

"And I'm sure he'll still allow you to continue your trysts with other women once you leave this place, right? 'Cause that's what love's all about! Maybe one day he'll fall for one of your women as well. Oops, my bad. Heard that already happened." My sarcastic, condescending tone made her guard go up, and I felt another wave of guilt as her eyes filled with tears.

"I wouldn't expect you to understand self sacrifice and all that love can bring." Her words fell from her trembling mouth, weak and pain stricken. I didn't know which thing I said to make her so upset, but I'd hit a nerve somewhere in my rant. Despite what Rosalie was trying to do, I didn't want her hurt by me. Besides the fact my brother would kick my ass, I loved her like a sister.

"Rosalie, I —"

My words were cut off by a commotion near the pool house. Rosalie took off in a dead sprint, and a wave of dread enveloped me when I realized Bella had been inside.

Everyone crowded around the bay doors leading to the pool house, trying to see inside. James walked out with a smug expression on his face, Jasper following close behind. A streak of blood smeared his lips, chin, and across one hand. I felt my insides begin to boil. A topless Victoria stood by his side, demanding to know what James had done.

Bella . . .

I pushed my way through the crowd, wanting to see if she was alright. Jacob parted the bodies, carrying a trembling Bella in his arms. She had blood on her arm and across her face, with no definitive location of the source. I stared open mouthed as Jacob carried her over the threshold, his massive arms making her look small and defenseless.

I wanted to call out to her. Every instinct in my body want to take her from Jacob and keep her safe myself, but I just stood there, frozen. She glanced up from Jacob's chest and leveled a heartsick, traumatized gaze right through me, and it was then when I realized that her pain was my fault.

She'd seen me with Lauren and ran inside that house, trying to hide away from the emotions she'd denied for two days. Jealousy, rage, envy, pain – it didn't matter which she felt, it'd been too much. I recognized that point of realization, for I'd had it myself a time or two. It'd been too much for her and she fled, right into the arms of a sinister monster.

I'd never forgive myself.

"Edward . . ." Carlisle voice seemed distant, unable to penetrate my bubble of self-flagellation. My mind was zoned past him, drilling into the head of the man who'd hurt my Betty.

"You son of a bitch!" My body reacted before my common sense had a chance to catch up. I flew across the yard, barreling straight toward James. He saw me coming a second before my fist made contact, but that didn't squelch the satisfying crunch of his nose breaking.

"Edward!" Jasper grabbed me across the waist, pulling me away from James before I could pummel him again. "Leave him be."

James spit out a mouth full of blood, smiling at me with red tinted teeth. "You never could share, Eddie. Even when we were young."

"She's not a plaything, you fucking asshole. How could you?"

"You see, that's where you're wrong. They're all our playthings! That's what our ancestors wanted, right?"

"James, you don't have any idea what you're talking about," Jasper scoffed, his grip around me loosening slightly.

"No? Am I wrong, Carlisle? Isn't that what you told me once I was mated to that?" He pointed over his shoulder to a stunned Victoria, her eyes widening as she watched her paired mate's display. The disdain on James' face as he looked at Victoria was evident, and she tried to cover her naked breasts in a sudden wave of propriety.

"James, when you were mated, I'd hoped you'd change." Carlisle's voice was firm and reprimanding.

"You mated me to a whore. Why would I change?"

"James," Victoria barked. "What the hell has gotten into you?"

"If you ever touch Bella again," I warned, snarling when James' smile widened at my unfinished threat.

"James, get your stuff and get out," Carlisle declared. "You're no longer needed here."

"Fine by me," he laughed. He grabbed a towel from a lounge chair and began mopping up his torn up face. The blood reminded me of Bella, of the crimson fluid I'd seen marring her beautiful skin, and suddenly I needed to get to her.

Ignoring the calls from Jasper and Carlisle, my feet moved toward her direction. I needed to see her, wanted to feel her in my arms and know that she was okay. Damn the emotions, damn the walls, I didn't care. I'd put her in that position and I wanted to see her through it. Fuck James. Fuck Carlisle. Fuck Jacob Black.

But an hour had gone by and I still wasn't allowed to see her. I didn't know if it was by her request, or from Rosalie's. I'd wait though, for however long it took.

"Is he gone?" I asked, continuing my pacing outside of Bella's door.

"Yeah, James left thirty minutes ago," Emmett replied, checking his watch for the time.

"Good," I muttered, the wave of anger and injustice tampered for the time being.

"Ed, maybe you should take a break," Emmett began, pausing when I leveled him with a menacing glare. "It's just that I doubt she will want to see anyone right now."

"You're waiting," I pointed out.

"For Rosalie," he clarified. "I can let you know what happened, okay? I think you need to cool down for a while."

Just then, the door opened. Rosalie stepped out, looking tear stricken and tired.

"She's fine," she announced thickly. "Thank god the boys got to her before James did anything stupid."

"The blood?" I demanded, having to know the answer.

"It was his," Rosalie sighed, offering a slight smile of approval. "Bella has a mean right hook."

My insides rejoiced in gratification. It seemed both of us got a piece of that asshole.

"I want to see her," I declared, my tone not giving room for argument. I saw Emmett stand from the wall, ready to back his woman up if I started a fight.

"She doesn't want to see you," Rosalie stated flatly, her arms crossing over her chest.

"I don't care." I took a step toward the door, ignoring my brother's hand on my shoulder and Rosalie's outward palms of protest.

"Is Bella okay?" I heard Jake's voice from down the hallway, and I looked to see him, Seth, Angela, and Jessica headed in our direction.

"She's fine," Rosalie answered, letting out a breath as she addressed the newcomers. "She's been through a lot tonight, so only one visitor for now, alright?"

"I won't be long," I told the group, redoubling my efforts to get inside her door.

"No, Edward. She only want to see one person right now," Rosalie reminded, acting as sentinel once again. And when she turned to look behind me, my heart thudded to a dead stop. "Jake, Bella wants you."

I stood stock still as her words sank in, barely feeling Jacob push past me to get inside her room.

Jacob.

Jacob Black.

Her savior.

That's who she wanted to see, of course. Not the man who made her see the truth in the harshest of ways. Not the man who she'd shared a bed with, who'd made it really plain that she meant nothing more than a pussy and pair of nice breasts.

I was a fool for more reasons than one.

And I had about enough of it all.

* * *

**Yes, much of the beginning will be a repeat and I will update asap to get to the newer chaps. Just hang with me. To those of you who've contacted me via PM I will be contacting you sometime today or tomorrow. It's been a little overwhelming but I did hear you and will be in contact soon. As for the haters, please bow out. Negativity has no place here. Thanks. **


	3. The Program

The Program

~ Betty Pledge ~

"I'm glad you're alright.'

Jake's words brought my attention away from the bruised and swollen knuckles of my right hand. I flexed the fingers, cringing as the joints groaned and cracked.

"Nothing a little witch hazel won't fix," I mumbled, dipping my hand back into the small bowl of said concotion. I remembered my mother using this stuff. She swore by it, as did my grandmother Marie. Just felt like another layer of fire to my already throbbing hand, in my opinion. Perhaps my severe embarrassment just amplified everything.

"Bella, do you want to talk?"

_Did I?_

I asked Jake to come in for a reason, but just wasn't exactly sure what that was. He'd been the first person to carry me away from James and the 'almost incident.' I guessed I owed him some sort of kindness, some graditude.

"I just . . . wanted to thank you for what you did. You know, getting me out of there."

"Bella, did he hurt you?" Jake sat on the bed next to me, his heavy weight making the mattress sink, jostling the small bowl of liquid. I picked it up hoping to avoid a mess on my bed, placing it back on my lap once he'd settled.

"I think I hurt him more than he did me," I replied blandly, holding up my injured hand as evidence.

"Is that where the blood came from?"

I nodded, feeling the sting of the medicine when my hand plunged in once more.

"I'm gunna . . . If Edward hadn't . . . "

I looked up.

"If Edward hadn't what?"

A rabid growl rumbled low in Jacob's chest. "If Edward hadn't flattened his face, I would be right about now. I still might . . ."

"Why would Edward care what happened in that pool house?" I asked, ignoring the twing on glee jumping through my blood at that knowledge. Internally, I cringed, hating that I felt anything where he was concerned.

When Jacob didn't answer right away, I glanced up from my lap, meeting his eyes for the first time. His brow was furrowed, expression pensive, as if he were thinking of something he wasn't quite willing to share.

"What are you thinking about?" I couldn't stop the question from spilling through my lips. I guessed my filter had taken a vacay, along with my self-preservation.

"Can I ask you something?" Jacob asked, watching my face closely for any bad reaction.

"Sure."

"How many people have you taken an invitation from?" I glanced away from Jacob, not really wanting to start on this topic. The first night, I'd received two invitations. One from Edward, and the other from Jacob. Any conversation about why I'd rejected him would utterly drain me, and I'd been through enough emotional turmoil for one day.

Plus, I didn't want to divulge the fact that I hadn't even welcomed the invitations from Consorts the second night. I wasn't in the game. Well, not _that _game. I had my own challenge with Edward, one that had consumed my entire time in the wretched place.

"I think the fact that you don't want to answer that questions speaks volumes, Bella."

I looked up to Jacob, watching his flat expression.

"It's early in my stay." It was a pathetic excuse, and Jake didn't buy it. I could tell my the pointed look he gave me. "Well, it is . . ."

I shrugged, looking down into the liquid sloshing in the bowl. "I just . . . I don't know. I think I felt a connection with Edward in the beginning. He made me feel comfortable . . ."

I felt the bed move, sensing Jake coming a little closer. "If that's the truth, why am I in here, and he's pacing a hole into the hallway floor?"

Hearing that Edward stood outside my door made me feel a surge of something inside my chest. Hope perhaps? It was asinine if that were the case. What could I possibly be hopeful for? That he cared about me?

It may be the most likely explanation if what Jake said was true. Still, if he cared so much about my feelings, why had he been in that cabana with Lauren?

Again, the basic premise of the program came slamming back into my mind, negating all my emotions and thoughts into the simplist answer: he was a Consort, and I was just his weekend Betty.

"Bell, can I tell you something?" Jake had a small smile on his face, watching me with a secret behind his smirk.

"Shoot."

"This program, it's a load of shit . . ."

I choked on my own tongue, staring at him wide-eyed. "W-what do you mean?"

"Do you know why divorce is so rampid nowadays?" I shrugged in response, thinking a million reasons, but mostly thinking of the blantant sexuality being fed into every avenue of our daily lives. "Mostly because people get married for the wrong reasons. They settle."

Jake had my attention.

"A girl meets a boy. The girl likes the boy. The boy likes the girl. They get to know each other, and before you know it, they have mediocore sex and figure they'll stick around for a bit, see how things end up. And then, five years have past and biological clocks start making demands, which leads to wedding bells, and a litter of kids, and bills, and misery, and in no time, infedility. Know what I mean?"

"You make it seem so sad . . . so finate."

"It is sad, because that's not what a marriage, a partnership, should be about."

I thought for a moment, picturing a beautiful family in my mind. A wife, beautiful, but maybe a little fluffy around the edges from giving birth to her four kids. The husband, still good looking, but his expression is haggard, resentful . . . bitter. Maybe because his wife didn't end up being who he thought she'd be when they said "I do." Maybe because he feels his life is nothing but nagging, and chores, and work, and chasing kids. There's no more passion. No desire. No adventure. The wife, she notices his distance, notices his eyes straying to the bombshell neighbor girl, whose twenty-five and just got off from work at the office. Temptation broils. Seeps into the cracks. Insecurities fester. And the kids . . . they sense it all, acting out to garner the attention.

I swallowed against the heavy lump in my throat. "So, what does that have to do with this program? I mean, I know some of the Cullens are mated, but this place is about sex. There's nothing medicore about it. No long-term committment."

"Mated . . ." Jake trails off. "That's a completely different word than I can possibly express."

"What do you mean?"

"You will find out in time, but look at it this way. How much do you learn about a person while having sex?"

"Not much, I'd imagine." I scoffed, thinking that of the act itself could sometimes be the most cold and emotionless thing in the world. Just satisfaction. That's why I was here. I came to learn how to please, and how to receive it in return.

"That's what I thought you'd say . . . but how much do you know about Edward?"

I thought about it for a moment. I knew he was passionate, that he was a good man and smelled amazing. But I didn't know much else about him. Our encounters had been nothing but tense and physical. Was I missing something here?

As if Jake could read my mind, took my hand, gaining my attention.

"What if you tried to please him . . ." I grimaced a little, not liking this conversation. Or maybe _who _I was having it with. Jake laughed. "I meant, what if you felt what he needed, in his words, in his touches, in his moans. You can find out a lot about a person if you listen to their bodies."

"Um, I don't understand what you mean," I said, slowly trying to process his meaning.

"Open your mind, Bella. Your heart just a tad. There is a reason people find their mates here. Why they stay together for so long."

"James was mated," I retorted. "And he didn't have one second of pause when he tried to . . . do what he did."

"James is a moron," Jake growled, his fist clenching around mine. "And I don't believe he was truly mated to Victoria."

"Why?"

I knew that they had a somewhat open relationship, sleeping with other people, sometimes having orgies but using the rationale that it was for "teaching purposes" only. Yet, then I thought about Carmen and Eleazar. How dedicated and intune with each other they were. Watching them make love in their special way felt like a priveledge, like we were spying on something very personal, and incredible sensual.

"I know that you haven't watched many scenes yet, and I hope you don't leave because I want you to stay, if only to witness the true beauty of what this program can be about. But could you imagine Eleazar doing that to Carmen? Or Jasper to Alice?"

"No," I answered automatically.

"Why?"

I thought for a moment, trying to put my answer into words. A soft knock on the door broke my thoughts, and I looked up to see Edward sticking his head in with a solemn expression on his face.

"Can I come in?"

* * *

**Any questions you may have please PM me. Its hard to go back and answer questions through reviews. Have a great night!**


	4. The Hero

The Hero

~ Bella Betty ~

It had been four days since that day with James, and I had lived my life as a recluse for the most part. I hadn't gone downstairs for movie day or watched any sex lessons. I hadn't accepted any invitations.

Hadn't received any, to be honest.

Well, to be fair, it felt like the whole house went silent for a bit. I felt kind of bad, like it was my fault, despite how many times Rosalie, or Alice, told me that it was common in the program for things to settle down for a week or two. 'Life here isn't just about sex, sex, sex . . . ' They insisted that it wasn't because what had happened between me and James. But I didn't believe either of them. Not for a second.

I'd stayed in my room most of the time, writing, trying to process. To center myself.

Writing had always been that outlet for me . . .

But lately, my stories were consumed with the unattainable.

Much like my life . . .

I didn't understand the program any longer. And it wasn't because of what happened with James. It was how I'd responded to Edward.

He'd come to see me in my room that day, wanting to talk to me. I guessed he'd been standing outside my door for hours before he'd come in, but learning that fact from Jacob had done something inside me. It turned my brain into a confused jumble of emotions and warnings. Telling me that reading into Edward's behavior was a wrong idea yet I wondered about the conclusions that simple logic brought to the surface.

He liked me . . .

And not in a way that was appropriate for our platonic yet highly charged sexual relationship. It's true, we'd been dancing around each other since the moment I'd entered those large oak doors, but it should have stopped there. If the program made any sense, that is.

It was _supposed_ to stop there . . .

And yet, there I was . . . in my room again . . . writing about a romantic god that wooed the young girl into a daring yet passionate, hot and heavy relationship. Despite her need to keep emotionally distant, he knocked down every wall she had surrounding her heart, charging in like the hero fighting a raging monster . . . saving the woman he loved.

My emotions had consumed me, taking over my outlet, my _writing_, and saturating it with everything Edward symbolized to me . . . everything he'd become that day he'd entered my bedroom.

~ ß ~

Jake had been in my room for the better part of an hour comforting me, trying to convince me not to leave because of what James had done. Truly, at that point, I didn't see why I should stay. I mean, if James felt like he could treat me like some plastic blow-up doll for his enjoyment, no matter how much I didn't want it, who's to say the other guys didn't feel the same way?

Eleazar, Garrett, even Carlisle . . .

And the thought of my vulnerability in that situation had me second guessing not only my sanity, but what kind of person I was to willingly put myself in such a provocative and, frankly, _dangerous_ situation.

But Jake had made some good points about his take of the mating process and how it related to the program, and it had me leaning toward giving this whole thing another shot from a somewhat different perspective. One that scared me, if I was being honest.

"I know that you haven't watched many scenes yet," Jake said. "And I hope you don't leave because I want you to stay, if only to witness the true beauty of what this program can be about. But could you imagine Eleazar doing that to Carmen?" he asked, speaking of James' action to Victoria once she questioned his behavior with me. I kind of felt bad for her, after what Jake had told me. "Or Jasper to Alice?"

"No," I answered automatically.

"Why?"

I thought for a moment, trying to put my answer into words. The mating concept seemed to be different for those couples, even for Jake as he sat on my bed, describing how _he _interpreted their relationships.

I wasn't able to answer his question, however. A soft knock on the door broke my thoughts, and I looked up to see Edward sticking his head into my room with a solemn expression on his face.

"Can I come in?"

He stood in the doorway not moving, watching me and Jake on the bed with a furrowed brow. Something in his face made my heart freeze, and Jacob's words previously were circulating through my mind.

_"If Edward hadn't . . . "_

_"If Edward hadn't what?"_

_"If Edward hadn't flattened his face, I would be right about now . . . Open your mind, Bella. Your heart just a tad. There is a reason people find their mates here. Why they stay together for so long . . ."_

"Sure, come on in," Jake replied, smiling as he rose from bed. His word settled my confusing thoughts, and I turned to look at him questioningly. It was common for me to have a man welcome another one into my bedroom.

_Wait...that came out wrong_.

"If you guys are busy, I can come back later," Edward said, gesturing back toward the hallway.

"No," Jake told him. "I was just leaving."

"Jacob," I scolded. I didn't like how he was taking control of what happened in my own bedroom.

What. The. Hell.

It wasn't like I didn't want Edward here, but one little heart to heart and suddenly Jake thought he could answer for me?

"Look, it's obvious that she doesn't want me here, so I'll just go." Edward's voice was clipped, making me wonder how things looked from his point of view.

_Right . . . _

"It's not that, Edward," I said hurriedly, causing him to pause in his retreat and look uncomfortably between Jake and me.

"Stay, brother," Jake told him, glancing back at me with a wicked, knowing smile that made me blush for some reason. "I've got my _own_ Betty to go see about." He left with a wink, and my mind began whirling.

_He's got a Betty to go see about? What the fuck . . . ? _

I started thinking about who he could possibly be talking about, but Jake left before I could say anything, leaving Edward and I alone.

He stood at the end of my bed, staring at my hand, swollen and bruised, still resting in the small bowl of witch hazel.

"It's not that bad," I told him as I held my hand up for him to see. Edward showed me his in turn. Cracked skin, swollen knuckles.

"Quite the pair we make," he said with a smirk.

"Well, I heard that you got a better shot on him than I did."

"Lies..." Edward said softly. There was intensity in his eyes, a sincerity that mirrored something Jake had said. Something . . . different.

_Mates . . ._

"I guess I did make him bleed," I mumbled, looking back to my hand. I had to look away. Something wasn't right in his eyes. They made me see things . . . _feel_ things . . . or maybe Jake's words were fucking with my head.

_Jake . . . and his Betty . . ._

"Who was Jake talking about?" I asked suddenly and without thinking.

"What?"

"When he said . . . does _he _have a Betty?"

"You're all our Betties, Bella." His answer was delivered with a soft tongue but I didn't like the bite to its meaning. Like we were nothing but toys, pocked pussies for the men? That thought made me feel cheap. It made me feel angry.

_You're all our Betties . . ._

And James had _proven_ that, hadn't he.

"Yes, yours to do with as you wish." I stretched my bruised hand for emphasis. "I feel like this is more like a brothel than a sex club. James didn't have to give me any kind of invitation, now did he? Tell me, Edward, you've been inside me a couple times now and I received only _one_ invitation from you. Is that what all you men expect out of me?"

"Stop."

"Did you give one to Lauren?" I asked, looking at him now. "You know, after I didn't come downstairs for tea this morning?"

"Bella, stop."

"What? I'm just trying to figure out the players, here. I mean, this is turning out to be something completely different than I'd imagined. I'm not learning anything but how to please a man, and to be honest, I don't think I had much of a problem in that area before."

"No, but you had a problem _receiving _pleasure before. Don't you remember?" Edward seemed almost panicked, coming to the edge of my bed with his hands clamped by his sides. "Bella, you have learned more about yourself that's what's important. You've made _me_ see something more in myself."

"Knock it off. You're starting to sound like Jake," I exclaimed, rising from the bed and spilling a bit of my witch hazel. I didn't care.

"What do you mean?"

"Meaning that you both act like this _club_ is more than just a way to learn about pleasure."

"It is."

I whirled around on him.

"No, it's not!"

"Bella, you're surrounded by mated couples that found each other in this house."

"Yes, after they'd slept with several other people."

"You don't know that," Edward replied calmly, his tone changing into a quiet hush.

"What do you mean, '_I don't know that_.' It's the whole premise behind the program, Edward. Don't you think I know that?"

"You don't know about how everyone's relationship developed except what they have told you. You are making assumptions."

"Oh, excuse me for _assuming _that these people kinda lucked out in falling for their fuck-buddy."

"Gah, Bella," Edward exclaimed, rising from the bed. "Do you really think that's what I am to you?"

I stopped for a moment, watching him. It took me a moment for me to gather my thoughts, and when I began to speak again, my tone was softer than before.

"Edward, I have to keep those kinds of thoughts away from me right now. Don't you _see_ that? Would I like to think that I meant something more to you than a sure-thing, yes. Deep down, I knew that it was going to be close to impossible to keep my feelings at bay, but I have to try. After all, we are 'all your Betties,' right?"

"That's not what I meant . . ."

"Really? What did you mean, then?"

"I meant that you were all here for a reason, _chosen _for a reason."

"Yes, to learn about pleasure. To seek out our own fantasies — "

"No!" Edward barked in frustration. "No. You are here for me!"

"Oh, I am." I couldn't keep the sarcasm from my tone of voice. "And Lauren? Is _she_ here for you, too?"

"She doesn't matter to me. I didn't do anything with her."

"Sure. You just disappeared behind the cabana and her top magically came undone by itself."

"Bella, please . . . Listen to what I'm saying to you."

"Why are you here, Edward? In my room. Are you here to convince me to stay, too?"

My question seemed to catch him off guard for a second.

"I'm here for you," he clarified. "Because I care about you. I wanted to make sure you were okay. To let you know . . ."

"Yes?" I asked after he'd remained silent for a moment.

"I just . . . He didn't hurt you, right? I mean . . . it didn't get that far . . . right?"

The concern in his voice softened my edges, opening me up and keeping me more vulnerable than I liked.

_Damn it . . ._

Without my permission, my hand found his.

"No, he didn't hurt me. The guys got there before anything happened . . . "

Edward glared at the floor, a sudden wave of anger clouding his perfect features.

"I should've found you first."

"Well . . ." I sighed. "You were a bit preoccupied it seemed."

He pulled me to him, resting his forehead against my shoulder. I could feel him breathing onto my skin, and suddenly, I felt very heated . . . in a more than _platonic_ way.

Because this way, Edward looked more vulnerable than I felt. He seemed to be able to take away his mask of indifference much faster and efficiently than I was. Here, I could see his emotions. They were evident in his eyes as he spoke to me, laced in every breath he exhaled even now. But where did that leave me?

A jumbled mess of illogic and mixed emotions, that's where.

And then I felt his hand leave my wrist and slowly wrap around the small of my back. I felt his thumb caress the skin there, slightly moving up the bottom of the tank top I'd thrown on over my suit.

"Bella . . ."

His lips began to touch my shoulder, soft at first, followed by the hint of his tongue tasting me.

I melted.

It was more than his comfort I wanted in that moment. I wanted all of it. The feelings, the emotions. And I hated myself for it. That, more than my hand or my pride, was going to hurt in the morning.

"Let go . . ." he whispered against the skin just below my ear, his tongue tasting me, his breath warming me.

"I . . . " his lips pressed against my throat.

"I . . ." his fingers played with the edges of my skimpy bathing suit.

"I . . . can't."

Edward stopped his movements. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

He pulled back to look at me but his hands didn't move – one at my back, the other holding mine. I looked into his eyes and saw . . . regret.

It broke my resolve.

"Just . . . give me some time, please?"

His hand left my back and slowly met my face. I could feel the pad of this thumb tracing my cheekbone.

"I just need time . . . to think about things."

"I understand," he said as his hands fell to his lap. His gaze left mind, his posture almost . . . defeated.

"I care about you, Edward." I couldn't stop the words. "Despite every wall or guard I've put up, do you know who I thought of when James was holding me against that wall? Who the first person I wanted to see when I was safe back in my room?"

Edward looked at me, his head tilted with a sad smile on his face.

"It was you," I replied, and I grabbed his hand in both of mine. "Somehow, you found a way through all my safeguards I'd planted before coming into this place, and no matter how much I want to shove you out again . . . I can't."

Edward smiled a bit more warmly then, but his eyes drifted away from me, back down toward the ground, and that made me pull him toward me. It just wasn't acceptable to see a man as amazing as he look so down.

His arms wrapped around my waist, his head rested on my chest.

"Hey," I told him.

"Mmmm?" he replied in a satisfied sound without looking up. He nuzzled his cheek against my breasts as if they were a comfy pillow. I laughed.

"Comfy?" I chuckled.

"Cozy," he answered with a smile. My fingers brushed back the hair at his crown automatically. "Just don't . . . leave, okay? I can give you whatever time or space you need. Just don't leave me, Bella. Okay?"

His eyes met mine and I knew at that moment I was stuck, in every sense of the word. My hands cupped his face, my lips pressed against his softly. And it was at that point I realized no matter what I had to come to grips with, or how many days I needed to recoup after everything that happened, I couldn't leave him.

I wanted him.

To know him . . . to touch him. To learn about what he wanted, and how he could give me what my body craved.

The Cullen Program hadn't proven anything to me but given me a means to meet this beautiful, fascinating man. And despite what I wanted initially when I walked through those doors, my heart superseded all of it.

I was stuck.

And it was a very new, but really good feeling.

* * *

**I think this is one of my favorite chaps. Thanks everyone for continuing with E/B. You guys are awesome. **


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